The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger is set to leave the company in 2026. Ahead of that, Iger’s salary increased around 12% from $41.1 million in 2024 to $45.8 million in 2025, according to Deadline.
©Disney
However, one thing that many of us are thinking about is who will replace Iger as CEO of the company. Names have been tossed around, but it looks like we’ll have a name revealed soon because Disney says that it’s still on track to name Iger’s successor in early 2026.
Disney Chairman James Gorman has stressed the board’s commitment to naming Iger’s successor in early 2026, which means we could have an announcement any day now. Disney also set its annual shareholders meeting for March 16th at 10 AM PST, which could be when we learn who will be taking over as head of the company.
Walt Disney Company Headquarters in Burbank
Gorman wrote, “Management succession planning remains a top priority for the Board, reflecting its importance to business continuity and long-term shareholder value. Oversight of the process is led by our dedicated Succession Planning Committee, and all directors have actively participated in a rigorous and ongoing evaluation of potential successor candidates, including direct engagement, performance assessment and consideration of leadership capabilities aligned with the Company’s long-term strategy. The appointment of the next CEO will be determined by the full Board, and we currently expect to announce the appointment of the Company’s next CEO in early 2026.”
The Walt Disney Company
In October 2025, Bloomberg released a report suggesting that Disney had narrowed its search for its next CEO to Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, and Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment. Bloomberg then polled 700 industry experts, showing that most believe that D’Amaro will be named the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
Josh D’Amaro at Destination D23, 2023 ©Disney
Of course, we won’t know anything for certain until Disney makes an official announcement, and when they do, we’ll be sure to let you know all about it. So stay tuned to DFB for more.
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Who ever they choose, I hope isn’t somone as horrible as Bob Chapek was. That guy nearly destroyed the company in my opinion. From what I know, Josh D’Amaro seems he would be a good fit for the company. He seems to be like minded and open mined like Bob Iger. Plus being the Chairman of Disney Experiences and more connected on the parks, I hope will focus more on the parks.
Can we just get a A. I.walt to run the company ,because the last guys and the chosen ones haven’t delivered. At least A.I. would listen to needs of its customers ….and NO ONE’S worth 45mil, cut over paid executives,lower ticket prices, and pay cast members more .
I am following Disney’s next CEO search with keen interest. This person will need to steer Disney back to family entertainment and drop Bob Iger’s push to include political positioning and lecturing into every Guest interaction. Otherwise Disney’s death spiral will continue, which most of us do not want to see. We want Disney to return to its former enjoyable, captivating and creative self.
Hope he does better than Bob Igor. All he cared about was the money not the people or Walt’s Dream for the parks. I hope he solve some of the long waiting lines and lack of respect that people have for the parks and they would bring back some rules of people cutting in lines.
If they want to keep people coming back they need to bring back the old Disney nostalgia that people love and quit worrying about woke. You will be surprised how many people will support you.
Shame on Bob Iger for taking such a large pay raise while the company is struggling. He needs to GO! Sadly, I hoped things would improve when he returned but they have gotten worse. A regular family cannot afford go to WDW anymore and that is not what Walt’s dream was about and Iger takes more, making prices stay unaffordable.